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Speed measurement

Fenrir

Mar 1, 2014
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hello everyone,

I'm new here and was wondering if you could help me.

I would like to make an electronic speed indicator to 1km / h accurate for my kart.

I would of course like to keep this as simple as possible
but i'd like to make it in loose electronic parts... no bicycle speed indicators and such :D


any help is greatly appreciated

Mvg
Fenrir
 

jpanhalt

Nov 12, 2013
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Do you want speed or acceleration? Two different things.

Assuming you want speed, what is wrong with bicycle indicators and "such?"

John
 

Fenrir

Mar 1, 2014
9
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Do you want speed or acceleration? Two different things.

Assuming you want speed, what is wrong with bicycle indicators and "such?"

John

sorry , i mean speed :D

it's an assignment for school :D

thanks,
Fenrir
 

jpanhalt

Nov 12, 2013
426
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So, I assume using an old inertial navigation system is not in the offering.

I suggest looking at measuring a wheel's rpm or the rpm of the motor that drives the wheel. There are a variety of encoders you can use. If the drive is electric, it is also possible to get your RPM from the back emf generated.

Since this project is for school, why don't we begin with your thoughts on the problem?

John
 

Fenrir

Mar 1, 2014
9
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Mar 1, 2014
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So, I assume using an old inertial navigation system is not in the offering.

I suggest looking at measuring a wheel's rpm or the rpm of the motor that drives the wheel. There are a variety of encoders you can use. If the drive is electric, it is also possible to get your RPM from the back emf generated.

Since this project is for school, why don't we begin with your thoughts on the problem?

John

i'm thinking of something with a small magnet attached to the wheel, so i'll probably need a Hall sensor, and some LED displays to schow the result.
But i can't figure out how i can change the analoge input to a digital input to the displays. :)

thanks
Fenrir
 

Arouse1973

Adam
Dec 18, 2013
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A Simple read switch would probably work for the triggering. The interesting bit is going to be to convert the RPM of the wheel into speed. Do you want an indication of speed on a digital readout, a dial gauge or say a bar graph display? Also if you can your wheel size you will have to calibrate it somehow. I'll have a look and see if I can come up with something for you.

Adam
 

Fenrir

Mar 1, 2014
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A Simple read switch would probably work for the triggering. The interesting bit is going to be to convert the RPM of the wheel into speed. Do you want an indication of speed on a digital readout, a dial gauge or say a bar graph display? Also if you can your wheel size you will have to calibrate it somehow. I'll have a look and see if I can come up with something for you.

Adam


A digital readout would be really nice :D

would this be a suitable reed switch ?
http://www.gotron.be/reedcontact-1xno-0-5a-aw20-25-10-0x2-0mm.html

thanks Adam! :D
 

jpanhalt

Nov 12, 2013
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First, I believe the output from the Hall sensor will be digital, not analog, as you describe it. (There are analog Hall sensors.)

Second, the job for you is to learn how to program a microchip to convert a PWM or pulsed signal into revolutions and then convert that into speed.

Third, is the matter of accuracy. Have you heard of "pitch diameter." Are the wheels on your cart hard or compressible? How much slippage against the road is there? If those variables and other secondary variables are minor, then you may be able to use a simple equation based on the circumference of a circle to calculate the speed. Otherwise, I would suggest that you make a calibration table and then use a look-up table. In fact, depending on the microprocessor that you use and your programming skill, a look-up table may be the best way to go regardless of the accuracy needed.

Have you studied programming? What language(s)?

John
 

Fenrir

Mar 1, 2014
9
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First, I believe the output from the Hall sensor will be digital, not analog, as you describe it. (There are analog Hall sensors.)

Second, the job for you is to learn how to program a microchip to convert a PWM or pulsed signal into revolutions and then convert that into speed.

Third, is the matter of accuracy. Have you heard of "pitch diameter." Are the wheels on your cart hard or compressible? How much slippage against the road is there? If those variables and other secondary variables are minor, then you may be able to use a simple equation based on the circumference of a circle to calculate the speed. Otherwise, I would suggest that you make a calibration table and then use a look-up table. In fact, depending on the microprocessor that you use and your programming skill, a look-up table may be the best way to go regardless of the accuracy needed.

Have you studied programming? What language(s)?

John

Hi John,

is there a possibility to do this without a microcontroller?

i've had a few programming lessons ( visual basic) and i have an arduino uno but i know only the basics

thanks
 

jpanhalt

Nov 12, 2013
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Of course, it can be done without a microprocessor. Just hook a DC motor to the shaft and an analog voltmeter to its output. Then print a scale showing the km/h and paste that to the meter's face.

How about you telling us what this class is all about?

John
 

Fenrir

Mar 1, 2014
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Of course, it can be done without a microprocessor. Just hook a DC motor to the shaft and an analog voltmeter to its output. Then print a scale showing the km/h and paste that to the meter's face.

How about you telling us what this class is all about?

John

it's about making a speed measurement for a go kart .
1km/h accurate and it can't be something from a shop
thanks
 

jpanhalt

Nov 12, 2013
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You have a whole class on measuring the speed of a kart?

I understood the assignment. My question was whether this is a physics class, math class, mechanical engineering class, computer engineering class, etc. class?

John
 

Fenrir

Mar 1, 2014
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You have a whole class on measuring the speed of a kart?

I understood the assignment. My question was whether this is a physics class, math class, mechanical engineering class, computer engineering class, etc. class?

John

it's not really a class, it's an assignment
they just give an assignment and i have to figure it out, at the end i have to show it and give a presentation :D

thanks
 

davenn

Moderator
Sep 5, 2009
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Note guys

this is homework ... I have moved it to that section

help the poster to work the problem out without giving all the answers outright :)

cheers
Dave
 

Fenrir

Mar 1, 2014
9
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Note guys

this is homework ... I have moved it to that section

help the poster to work the problem out without giving all the answers outright :)

cheers
Dave

thanks dave that's all i need, a little help to get me in the right direction :D

Fenrir
 

jpanhalt

Nov 12, 2013
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OK. You can do what you want with discrete logic, like counters. But since you will need to measure a time-dependent variable (speed), you will need a clock.

The easiest way is with a microcontroller to count the pulses or measure the duty cycle from your Hall sensor, which depends on the type of Hall detector you chose. However, a simple edge triggered flip-flop, clock and counter can be made to count pulses per unit time, as Arouse 1973 implied (I think). You will still need to convert the count to a display value and display it in the latter instance.

Have you searched the Internet for rpm measurements?

John
 

Laplace

Apr 4, 2010
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Is there any requirement pertaining to how often the display must be updated. If it must be real time, then there is a design approach that will show the speed for every revolution of the wheel (or fractional revolution if necessary). But if the display only needs to be updated once per hour, then a different design approach can be taken for obtaining the average speed for that hour.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Jan 21, 2010
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You could also have an analg display by converting the pulses to a fixed length and then integrating them with a capacitor. An analog meter across the capacitor would give a reading proportional to speed.
 

Fenrir

Mar 1, 2014
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thanks for all the suggestions

i think i am going to use an arduino uno and a hall sensor.

i can read the output of the hall into the arduino and convert it to the display , sound good ?

thanks
Fenrir
 
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